WEST NEW YORK AND BEYOND – West New York Mayor Felix Roque was formally indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury after he and his son were arrested by the FBI on May 24 for allegedly hacking into a website called “Recall Roque."

Roque deferred comment to the town spokesman Pablo Fonseca on Thursday afternoon.

Fonseca did not comment directly on which charge Roque was indicted for, or on anything else about the indictment, but he gave the following statement:

“At this time Mayor Roque will allow the justice system to continue its course. This will not affect his public office or medical practice as a physician. He believes in our great constitutional democratic system which states that you are innocent until proven guilty. We need to give Mayor Roque the chance to clear his name and his reputation. The mayor is a patriot and a fighter and is looking forward to his day in court to prove his innocence. In the meantime, Mayor Roque will continue serving his community, specifically by continuing to close the budget gap, continuing to lower taxes, and continuing to provide services to its residents. While he is going through this turbulent time, his priority is to value the quality of life of the residents of West New York and to provide an open, transparent, and accessible government.”

An indictment is not a judgment of guilt or innocence. It is a decision that enough evidence exists for a matter to proceed to trial. -- Gennarose Pope